Separation of liquid suspensions.



F. W. PEEK, 1R.

SEPARATION 0F LIQUID SUSPENSIONS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-18.1913.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Inventor-' His frtq.

Witnesses: fn/ /M UNITED A sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

FRANK W. VPEER, JR.,r 0F SCHENECTADY,.NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A (/JORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

SPARATION OF LIQUID SUSPENSIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK W. PEEK, J r., avcitizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county. of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separation of Liquid Suspensions, of which the followto separate emulsions of thisy nature by introducingthem between high/potential electrodes but this method gives trouble due to the formation of chains of globules between the electrodes, thus producing short-circuits. In accordance with my invention, this undesirable effect is avoided by introducing the liquid to be treated into an apparatus having a chamber traversed. by an electrostatic field of unequal intensity and constructed so that the suspended -particles are driven by the electrostatic field against a wall of dielectric material where they collect and are thus removed.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a sectional view of the apparatlls.

The li uid to be treated, which we may assume to, e oil containing suspended water tank 1, into a treating receptacle particles, is introduced from a receivmg 2 which preferably consists of glass, porcelain, or This receptacle of sto pers 3 and 4 and is provided with an outlet tube 5 for the removal of the purified oil, and an outlet tube 6 for the removal of the separated water. The treating chamber is provided upon the outside with an electrode 7 consisting of tin foil, electrolytically deposited cop er, or the like. The oil is conveyed into t 's treatin chamber by means of a valve controlled. tu e 8 which discharges into a metallic tube 9 extending into the treating chamber and constituting the co erating electrode. As indicated, this inner e ectrode is preferably provided with sharp pro]ections. It is separated a greater distance from the outer electrode at its ends than at the region where the projections are provided and where the lseparating action` takes place. The oil is discharged into the lower part of the treating chamber and in rising to the discharge tube 5, passes through the electrostatic field created'between the electrodes by some suitable source of high potential electricity, for example, a high potential transformer 10. This arrangement gives a very dense, electrostatic field, of high gradient near the inner electrode but of relatively low gradient at the glass surface.

When oil containing colored water is introduced into the apparatus the following action may be clearly observed by the unaided eye. The water being a better conductor than oil, or considered in another aspect as having a much higher permittivity than oil, should be caused to move toward the stronger field. It is found, indeed, that..

the water particles move toward the inner electrode and upon closely watching it, it may be plainly seen that a small spark passes to each drop before it touches the electrode. It is then quickly repelled to the outer electrode with considerable force. As the electrostatic field at the outer electrode is not as intense as at the inner electrode due to its greater surface the drop sticks to the dielectric surface and is not again repelled but held there by the surface tension of the drop. The drops collect in this manner and slowly run to the bottom ofthe tube.

By passing oil containing water through the apparatus as above described-with a potential of 15000 volts applied between thel electrodes, I have found the disruptive voltage of the oil to be increased from 23' to 52 kilovolts using in leach case a standard gap at constant spacing for comparison.

The dielectric wall is also useful in preventing a short-circuit by a dynamic arc folloving a spark over, as when the oil is very What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination in an apparatus for separating and collecting particles of one liquid suspended in another, .of a' pair of electrodes cnnected to a high potential source of electricity, one of said electrodes having its surface provided'with projecting \-conductive points, and means for passing the liquid mixture between said electrodes. 2.- Th e combination 1n an apparatus for separating particles of one liqui suspended 11 in another differing therefrom in conductivity, of a pair of electrodes, means for passing the liquid mixture between said electrodes, means for establishing an electrostatic field in the liquid between said electrodes which will be of high intensity at certain points and of much lower intensity at other points and a wall of dielectric material for preventing the formation of an arc between said electrodes. l'

3. In an apparatus for removing suspended water from oil, a glass vessel, an electrode coating upon the outside of said vessel, a metallic tube constituting another electrode in said vessel, said tube'having its surface provided with projecting conductive points, means for passing the oil containing water through said tube into said vessel, and means for applying an alternating current of high potential to said electrodes.

4.-. The combination 1n an apparatus for separating particles of one liquid from a less conductive liquid in which they are suspended, of a vessel having a wall of dielectric material, an electrode having a plain surface upon the outside of said wall, an electrode upon the inside of said wall4 and spaced therefrom having a plurality of pro-l jecting conductive points and means for passing the liquids to be separated between said electrodes.

5. The combination in an apparatus for removing suspended water from oil, of a vessel having a wall of dielectric material, an electrode coating on the outside of said wall, a hollow metallic electrode within said vessel spaced from said wall and provided with a plurality of projecting conductive points on its outer surface, meansifor passing thetoil containing water into said vessel through the lower end of said electrode, means for withdrawing the oilfrom the top of said vessel, meansfor withdrawing the separated water from the bottom of said vessel and means for applying a high electrical potential to said electrodes.

6. The combination in an apparatus for separating particles of one liquid suspended in another differing therefrom in conductivity, of a Wall of dielectricmaterial, an electrode on each side of said wall, means for passing the liquid mixture between said wall and one of said electrodes, and means for establishing an electrostatic field in the liquid which will be of high intensity at certain points near said electrode and of much lower intensity at points near said wall.

ln witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of February, 1913.

FRANK W. PEEK, JR.

' Witnesses:

.BENJAMIN B. HULL,-

HELEN ORFORD. 

